Farmall C Cooling/Water Temp

I changed out the Water Temp Gauge on a C Farmall today. Did a test drive to see it worked. After a half hour of drive around, the gauge doesn't move. The top hose is hot and bottom hose is warm but not hot. The new gauge worked after heating the sensor area with a propane torch.

Is this normal for a C Farmall?

Yes the sensoe is in the lower outlet of the block correct. The only way you will get it to warm up would be to use shutters./ Just goes to show how well the thermosiphon system does work. Thats why they put the sensor there was for the shutters so the engine would get warmenough to burn the kerosene fuel.

gene laid it out pretty well. The way things were sized for capacity . . . . the thermosiphon was a pretty efficient system and a warm hose at top and cool hose at the bottom would indicate everything is working as it should.

My SuperC, with water pump and thermostat, is also slow to warm up -- it's the nature of that 113/123 motor. Mine was always a gas (i.e., not a dual fuel) motorbut was delivered in upstate NY with radiator shutters all the same. I use them all the time to warm the tractor up even in warm or moderate weather.

I've been out to mow with a sickle bar on a warm day with the shuters open and could run as much as a half-hour or more before the needle on the gauge would ever get up into the RUN range. My answer, because my usual runs are a lot shorter and I don't like shutting down an engine before it's had a chance to warm up, is to close the shutters as part of my start-up routine. The flip side is, once she is warmed up well, to remember to open them back up.

(quoted from post at 21:08:06 11/06/10) gene laid it out pretty well. The way things were sized for capacity . . . . the thermosiphon was a pretty efficient system and a warm hose at top and cool hose at the bottom would indicate everything is working as it should.

My SuperC, with water pump and thermostat, is also slow to warm up -- it's the nature of that 113/123 motor. Mine was always a gas (i.e., not a dual fuel) motorbut was delivered in upstate NY with radiator shutters all the same. I use them all the time to warm the tractor up even in warm or moderate weather.

I've been out to mow with a sickle bar on a warm day with the shuters open and could run as much as a half-hour or more before the needle on the gauge would ever get up into the RUN range. My answer, because my usual runs are a lot shorter and I don't like shutting down an engine before it's had a chance to warm up, is to close the shutters as part of my start-up routine. The flip side is, once she is warmed up well, to remember to open them back up.

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How do you put a temp gauge on a C? Should it have one? My C doesn't, and I was wondering if I could put one on it after my restoration on it, to be sure it's cooling as it should after I put the radiator and coolant back in.

On the SuperC, the temp sensor is mounted intn the upper neck, the outlet from the head to the radiator. On the C, where it was an option, it was commonly mounted, as gene said, in the the lower casting, from the bottom of the radiator where it returns to the motor. If that casting does not have a plug in it that can be removed to accept the compression fitting for the temp robe, it should have a flat spot with some extra metal in the casting that can be tapped out for the purpose.

If the system is clean, I'll say that the gauge really isn't necessary. My '47 BN spent MANY long days in her working life cultivating beans and corn without overheating.

With a clean system your best gauges will be your nose, after allowing for any overflow from an initial filling, and eyes.

If, like me, your interest is in making sure it's warmed up before shutting down, the best place for the probe would be in the upper neck, but I don't know that that elbow on a C is well-suited with enough meat to give you a goodplace to tap in. The one on the SuperC is set up for it, but with the taller radiator on the Super C, it's not a direct part swap.

Without the gauge, best bet is to check it by hand. Head should be good and hot, borderline uncomfortable to rest your hand on. Side of the crankcase should be good and warm but not uncomfortable.

Thanks for the answers.

Don

If the cooling sysem is clean, you don't need a water pump.